Software Distribution and Packaging Frequently Asked Questions

No. Delta replication looks for file level changes, not byte level changes. If you change a single executable file, like in SMS Installer, the entire file must be replicated. Delta replication is only beneficial if you have packages comprised of multiple files.

For more information about delta replication, see Chapter 5, “Distributing Software,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

Use package update whenever you make a modification to the package source, such as adding, changing, or deleting a file or folder.

• SMS builds a new complete compressed package file and a delta compressed package file from the updated package source files. The delta file is passed to all distribution points.
• The package version in client policy is incremented to ensure Advanced Clients are aware of the latest content version for the advertisement.
• A package update resets the Virtual Directory if you have enabled or disabled BITS on the distribution point since the last package update or package refresh.
• Package update will not reset the access control list (ACL).

Use the Manage Distribution Points Wizard to update packages. For more information, see Chapter 5, “Distributing Software,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

Use package refresh to repair a package at a specific distribution point.

• A package refresh recopies the compressed package from the local site server to the distribution point.
• A package refresh resets the access control list (ACL) if you have made changes to the package access account.
• A package refresh resets the Virtual Directory if you have enabled or disabled BITS on the distribution point since the last package update or package refresh.
• A package refresh generally does not copy files from the package source, update the source version, nor increment the client policy version. See next question for circumstances where source files are copied.

Use the Manage Distribution Points Wizard to refresh packages. For more information, see Chapter 5, “Distributing Software,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

Package refresh generally operates on a single distribution point/package pair.

• On the source site server, package source files are copied directly to the distribution points for that site, which include changes made at the source.
• On a child site server, the existing local compressed package is copied to the distribution points for that site. Therefore no changed source files are included.
• On a child site server, if the compressed package file is missing, the source site server passes its existing compressed file to the child. No changed source files are included.


Note: If you choose to refresh all or several distribution points in the site hierarchy, only the source site distribution points receive changed files. The source site server does not pass down a new compressed package file to child sites. In this situation child site distribution points do not receive changed source files.

If you want changes to source files to be copied to all distribution points, use package update instead of package refresh. For more information, see Chapter 5, “Distributing Software,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

The distribution point is probably installed on a Windows Server 2003 system, and to use BITS for download of package source files, you need to enable WebDAV support. Use Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, click Web Service Extensions, and then click Allow after selecting WebDAV in the right pane.

For more information about site configuration questions, see Chapter 1, “Scenarios and Procedures for Deploying SMS 2003,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

Windows XP SP2 interferes with the Advanced Client’s ability to download packages by using BITS, when using SMS 2003 (with no service pack). Downloading policy by using BITS is not affected by this issue. This issue is fixed by applying a hotfix to the BITS-enabled distribution points. For more information about this issue, see article number 832860 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. This hotfix is included in SMS 2003 SP1.

There are three ways to increase the size of the cache on the client:

• Installing the Advanced Clients using the installation property SMSCACHESIZE=. If this property is not set, the cache defaults to a maximum size of 250 MB.
• Manually changing the Amount of disk space to use on the Advanced tab in the Systems Management control panel.
• Distributing a script.

For more information about using installation properties, see Appendix I, “Installing and Configuring SMS Clients” in the Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Planning and Deployment. For more information about software distribution control panel automation on the Advanced Client, see the SMS 2003 Software Development Kit (SDK) available on the Microsoft Download site. For more information about the Advanced Client download cache, see article 839513 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

In certain situations, the Advanced Client Network Access Account might be required. The Advanced Client Network Access Account is used to access the distribution point if the logged-on user account or computer account does not have permissions.

This situation can occur when the client roams:

• Between Windows Server 2003 and Windows NT 4.0 trusted domains.
• Between Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 trusted domains.
• Between two untrusted forests.
• Between a forest and a Windows NT domain.

If the SMS hierarchy is distributed across trusted forests or other network environments in which the logged-on user or client computer account is a recognized security principal, the client will not need the Advanced Client Network Access account.

For information about how to create or modify an Advanced Client Network Access Account, see Appendix E: “SMS Security Procedures” in Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Securityon the Microsoft Web site.